Modular Bookcase With Fold-Out Table and Hidden Guest Seating
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Solution Overview
Problem
In small and large spaces, existing furniture is often insufficient for accommodating extra guests or needs, leading to difficulties in moving and transporting individual furniture pieces, which can result in damage and inconvenience.
Innovation Solution
A modular bookcase design that incorporates a foldable small table and optionally foldable chairs or stools, allowing these elements to be easily extracted and concealed within the bookcase's structure, optimizing space usage and facilitating easy transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate furniture components (chairs, tables) are kept in the house to meet varying needs, then the ability to accommodate extra guests is improved, but the space encumbrance and difficulty of moving furniture increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple furniture functions into a single bookcase unit. The bookcase integrates book storage with concealed storage compartments that hold chairs and tables. When guests arrive, the furniture pieces are extracted from the bookcase; when not needed, they are returned to the bookcase, reducing the number of separate furniture pieces in the house while maintaining the ability to accommodate varying numbers of guests.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nesting by placing chairs and tables inside the bookcase structure. The bookcase acts as a container that holds the furniture pieces when not in use. The chairs are stored with their seats inserted into the bookcase, and tables are stored on shelves within the bookcase, effectively nesting smaller furniture items within a larger furniture piece to reduce space encumbrance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If furniture pieces are moved frequently to accommodate guests, then the ability to supplement furniture is improved, but the risk of damage and time required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-positioning the chairs and tables inside the bookcase in a ready-to-use state. The furniture pieces are stored in designated compartments within the bookcase, organized and prepared in advance. When guests arrive, the furniture can be quickly extracted without needing to search for or assemble pieces, significantly reducing the time required to supplement furniture compared to moving separate furniture pieces from other locations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the number of chairs and table dimensions are increased to meet maximum needs, then the ability to accommodate any number of guests is improved, but the space encumbrance when not fully utilized increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by removing the chairs and tables from permanent placement in the room and instead storing them within the bookcase structure. The bookcase serves as a storage repository, and the furniture pieces are extracted only when needed. This allows the house to have the capacity to accommodate maximum guests without the furniture occupying permanent space in the living area, thus reducing space encumbrance when the maximum capacity is not being utilized.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention concerns a bookcase (1) comprising a frame (2) and characterized in that it further comprises at least a modular element (6; 16) and a seat (11; 17) for holding when in use such a modular element in such a way that it results selectively extractable/insertable from/into the said bookcase. In particular, the modular element (6) can be constituted by only one small table (6) that can be folded into two halves. In that case, the seat (11) is delimited superiorly by a shelf (11"), inferiorly by a shelf (11') and laterally by the lateral panels (2') of the frame (2). Moreover, the shelves (11') and (11") are overlapped according to such a height as to hold between them the said small table when folded. Alternatively, the modular element can be a chair or a stool or a combination of chair and/or stool with the small table.